Evan finally lost his temper completely.

He grabbed his phone and made a call. It was answered almost immediately. “Sir.”

“Find out where Jennifer Tanner and my wife are. Right now.”

Patrick hesitated for a split second. “Understood.”

“Now,” Evan barked.

It was pouring rain this late at night. What did she think she was doing?

She’d burned everything connected to their marriage. She’d made scenes before, but never like this.

For the first time, a flicker of unease rose in Evan’s chest.

Patrick moved fast. Ten minutes later, he called back. “Mrs. Wright is at Azure Heights on Starlake Avenue.”

Evan narrowed his eyes. “What is she doing there?”

Starlake Avenue.

He didn’t remember them having any friends in that area.

“Miss Tanner is with her,” Patrick added.

At the mention of Jennifer, Evan’s expression darkened.

In his view, women shouldn’t have close girlfriends. Once they did, it was like they suddenly grew ten extra brains.

Every time Stella got together with Jennifer, nothing good ever came of it.

By the time Evan arrived at Azure Heights, Stella—exhausted from the day—had already fallen asleep.

Jennifer had left. Stella hadn’t wanted to go with her, so she decided to arrange for someone to come take care of Stella.

Stella had just drifted off when the doorbell rang insistently, jolting her awake.

She thought Jennifer might have forgotten something.

Half-asleep, she got up and opened the door. “What did you forget to—”

The word died on her lips when she saw Evan.

Her expression immediately turned cold.

“How did you find this place?”

Evan’s face was hard. Raindrops still clung to his black suit jacket. “What do you think?”

Seeing Stella in her pajamas only made his anger spike.

He leaned forward and glanced inside. When he saw no one else there, his presence softened slightly.

“Jennifer said you miscarried,” he said. “Wouldn’t it look bad if I didn’t come check on you?”

As he spoke, he reached instinctively, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward him, familiar and practiced.

But this time, Stella didn’t let herself be dragged into his arms.

She stayed where she was, her gaze sharp and guarded.

Meeting the cold in her eyes made something tighten briefly in Evan’s chest.

But the next second, he smiled. “All right, all right. You miscarried. I’ll take care of you, okay?”

That indifferent tone dripped with sarcasm.

It was just short of saying she was faking it.

The anger Jennifer had just managed to calm flared right back up.

Stella lifted her leg and kicked him hard.

Evan wasn’t prepared. The blow landed squarely in his stomach. He sucked in a sharp breath of pain and instinctively let go of her arm.

Seeing her bristling like a cornered hedgehog gave him a headache.

“You’ve made your scene. You burned half the house. Are you still not over it?”

Stella said nothing.

But the chill in her eyes deepened.

Over it?

This anger wasn’t going anywhere. Not unless someone paid for it.

She let out a soft, humorless laugh.

She didn’t say a word, but the mockery in that laugh made Evan feel inexplicably irritated.

A dull headache throbbed behind his temples.

“Enough,” Evan said, clearly exhausted. “This is on me. All of it. Okay? Come home with me.”

As he spoke, he reached out again, trying to grab Stella’s arm.

She stepped back, dodging him easily.

Her distance, that icy rejection, finally wiped the patience from Evan’s face. His expression darkened completely, the air around them turning heavy and tight.

“Is that really my home?” Stella let out a mocking laugh. “A house where the deed isn’t even in my name?”

“The name on the title belongs to Fiona Wright.”

Fiona was Evan’s younger sister. She was especially close to Summer.

The villa Stella and Evan had lived in after their marriage had long since been transferred into Fiona’s name.

The Wright family had never approved of Stella, an orphan raised without family backing.

They’d agreed to the marriage under one condition. A secret marriage.

Any time Evan tried to give Stella something substantial, his mother would quietly take it back and register it under the names of his two sisters instead.

Even their marital home.

They’d been terrified Stella might benefit from the Wright family in any way.

“The house is in Fiona’s name,” Stella said calmly. “And you still call it my home. Don’t you think that’s ridiculous?”

Evan paused. “Then I’ll transfer it back to you tomorrow. Is that enough?”

The strain in his voice was obvious. His patience was gone.

Stella didn’t want to hear another word from him. She reached for the door, ready to shut it.

Evan caught the edge of the door with his hand.

“Stella,” he said, his tone no longer coaxing. “There’s a limit to how far you can take this.”

“What limit?” Stella raised an eyebrow.

Her emotions should have been spiraling. Instead, she was eerily calm. Even when she spoke about Summer, her voice was steady.

“You and Summer are crossing lines, and you still expect me to stay within limits?”

Evan’s chest tightened.

“Stop lumping me together with her,” he snapped. “There’s nothing between us.”

Stella looked at him coolly. “Steven is dead. Everyone in Harbor City thinks you’ve stepped in to take his place.

“No one knows you’re married. No one even knows your wife’s name is Stella Rowan.

“And you’re telling me that has nothing to do with you?”

Six months.

In those six months after Steven’s death, Evan and Summer had been seen together constantly.

At events. In public. In private.

There were even rumors that the twins were Evan’s.

Some people whispered that Steven’s death itself had something to do with Evan.

Hearing her mention those rumors, Evan stiffened. “You believe that nonsense?”

Rumors?

Stella didn’t answer. She looked at him in silence.

He felt the door pushing harder against his hand. His voice dropped, restrained. “She’s sick. Depression. You know that.”

The word depression iced over Stella’s gaze completely.

“Right. Depression,” she said flatly. “So your face is her medicine. Her personal sedative.”

What a convenient excuse.

Every time Summer lost control, the first thing the family did was send Evan over to calm her down.

Stella closed her eyes briefly. “Sign the divorce papers I’ll have delivered tomorrow.

“Then take care of her for the rest of your life.”

He could stay with her as long as he wanted.

This twisted attachment made Stella sick to her core.

Her indifference finally snapped the last thread of Evan’s restraint. “Stella Rowan!”

She opened her eyes, cold and resolute. “And tell Summer to prepare herself.

“She’ll be receiving a court summons soon.”

Thinking of the months she’d poured into the Redcrest Valley project, Stella looked at Evan with a colder, sharper mockery in her eyes.

The air fell silent.

Nearly half a minute passed before Evan spoke again, his voice tightly controlled. “What are you trying to say?”

“What exactly are you planning to sue her for?”

The words court summons had made his chest jolt hard. When he looked at Stella now, there was no warmth left in his gaze.

“What do you think?” Stella met his eyes with open scorn. “Evan Wright, you were the one who told me my design for the Redcrest Valley tourism project got rejected, weren’t you?

“So tell me. Was it my design that got cut, or was it me?”

The silence deepened.

Outside, rain and wind battered the windows, unable to cool the thick, stifling air between them.

Stella glanced at the hand Evan still had braced against the door. “Can you let go now?”

His expression stiffened.

When he spoke again, the words came out strained, almost suffocating. “This isn’t what you think.”

“Save it,” Stella said calmly. “You can explain everything to the judge.”

“Stella Rowan!”

“Let go.”

“Do you really have to tear the family apart like this?”

Stella fell silent.

What did true, bone-deep coldness feel like?

Family?

She let out a soft, bitter laugh. “Family… how disgusting.”

He didn’t try to give her a real explanation. Maybe because he couldn’t.

And using the word family at a moment like this only made it worse.

Stella pushed harder against the door. Evan instinctively tightened his grip.

“You can’t sue her,” he said urgently. “She just gave birth.”

Stella said nothing.

What a line.

She had lost two children because of Summer. He hadn’t believed she was pregnant, accusing her of making a scene.

Now that she wanted to take Summer to court, he panicked.

Stella closed her eyes. Then she lifted her leg and kicked out again.

This time, Evan was ready. His instincts made him release the door.

Before he could react, the door slammed shut in his face with a heavy bang.

“Stella, open the door. Let’s talk this through.”

Evan pounded on the door like he’d lost his mind.

Stella stood there, her face frozen, her back pressed against the door. She answered only once.

“Talk to my lawyer.”

Hearing the word lawyer made Evan’s chest seize.

Stella turned and walked into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Then she crawled under the covers, blocking out the world completely.

She didn’t know how long the doorbell and pounding continued before it finally stopped.

Half-asleep, exhausted and weak, Stella drifted in and out of dreams.

Sometime in the middle of the night, she was shaken awake.

“Stella. Stella.”

Her body felt like it was being thrown from a freezer into flames.

She forced her eyes open. It was Jennifer.

“Jennifer.”

“You have a fever,” Jennifer said anxiously. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Jennifer hadn’t been able to rest easy. She’d brought her housekeeper over in the middle of the night to help look after Stella.

Thank God she came.

If Stella had burned through the night like this, who knew what would’ve happened by morning?

Jennifer’s phone kept buzzing nonstop. Evan was calling.

She was already fed up. She didn’t answer until she’d helped Stella into the car.

“What do you want?” she snapped.

“Pass this on to Stella,” Evan said. “No matter how angry she is at Summer, it can wait until Summer finishes her postpartum recovery.”

“Evan Wright, go to hell,” Jennifer shot back.

Stella, half-conscious, heard his words through the speaker. Her chest went even colder.

Jennifer glanced at Stella’s pale face, rage boiling over. “You’re so damn worried about Summer’s recovery, but your own wife just—”

She didn’t get to finish.

The phone was suddenly gone from her hand.

Jennifer turned to see Stella grab it and hang up without hesitation.

“What are you doing?” Jennifer burst out. “Let me tear him apart.”

She was furious beyond words.

She was just an outsider, and even she was furious beyond control. How had Stella endured this for so long?

Jennifer looked at her with aching sympathy.

“He doesn’t believe it,” Stella said quietly. “Talking to him is a waste of breath.”

Jennifer fell silent.

She knew it was true. Hadn’t Stella gotten angry over Summer countless times these past six months?

Not only had Evan never cared, he’d only crossed more lines. This time, he’d even accompanied her to give birth.

It was sickening.

Stella narrowed her eyes. “Don’t mention my miscarriage to him again.”

“Why?” Jennifer asked.

Why?

Because to him, the pregnancy had always been fake. Just another tantrum.

After years of marriage, there wasn’t even basic trust left. What was the point of asking for more?

“We’re getting divorced anyway,” Stella said calmly. “I want it clean. No loose ends.”

And she didn’t want his guilt.

Guilt lingered. It clung. It dragged things out.

Jennifer understood immediately, and it only made her heart ache more. “That bastard.”

She was furious.

“Alright,” she said, swallowing it down. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”

Seeing how drained Stella was, Jennifer didn’t say anything else.

They had once been so good together. Now they’d reached a point where neither love nor hate was worth holding onto.

Jennifer helped Stella into the hospital.

And of course, they ran straight into Evan and Summer.

Evan was holding a baby in his arms, several people trailing behind him.

Summer sat in a wheelchair, being pushed along, wiping tears from her face. “Evan, nothing can happen to the baby.”

“Don’t worry,” he said gently. “Everything will be fine.”

That softness in his voice.

Stella realized it was the first time in six months she’d heard him speak with that kind of sincere tenderness.

It was nothing like the half-hearted way he’d always soothed her.

She heard it clearly. He meant it.

As they passed each other, Evan saw Stella. He stopped, lips parting as if to say something.

Before he could, Summer broke down crying. “Evan, if something happens to the baby, I won’t live either.”

In the end, Evan pulled his gaze away from Stella’s deathly pale face and strode forward.

The group behind him rushed to keep up, pushing Summer along.

Whether Stella was angry or not was beside the point. Jennifer was shaking with rage.

“Evan Wright, you stop right there, you piece of—”

“Hey—Stella, Stella!”

The weight against her arm suddenly gave way.

Stella’s body slid downward, and Jennifer panicked, grabbing her just in time.

At the elevator entrance, Evan heard Jennifer shout and instinctively turned around.

He saw Jennifer holding Stella, yelling, “Doctor! Someone help—now!”

Evan’s heart lurched.

Without thinking, he shoved the baby into someone else’s arms and broke into a run toward them.

Just as Evan took a step toward Stella, something suddenly snagged at his foot.

He looked down.

Summer, who had been crying moments ago, had tumbled out of her wheelchair and collapsed onto the floor.

She was unconscious.

Someone nearby screamed, “Mrs. Wright, oh my God, there’s blood. So much blood!”

The momentum in Evan’s body died instantly. The step he’d been about to take toward Stella paused, as if his legs were filled with lead.

By the time Stella was lifted onto a gurney, her consciousness was already fading.

Through her blurred vision, the last thing she saw was Evan holding Summer in his arms.

Then everything went dark.

…

Stella didn’t wake up again until the next morning.

Jennifer had stayed by her side the entire night. When she saw Stella open her eyes, she let out a breath of relief. “Thank God. You’re finally awake. What a mess this turned into.”

Stella’s lips moved slightly. Her throat was painfully dry.

Jennifer hurried to hand her some water. “Evan came by earlier. Stayed about ten minutes.”

Stella fell silent.

Ten minutes.

Just hearing the number made her chest sink. “He asked you to tell me not to sue Summer, didn’t he?”

“You heard that?” Jennifer blurted out, stunned.

Because it was true. Evan had told her—again—to pass along the message that Stella shouldn’t take Summer to court right now.

The nerve of him. His wife hadn’t even woken up yet, and he was already speaking up for Summer.

Stella lowered her gaze to the IV needle in the back of her hand. “No. I didn’t hear it. I could guess.”

After the way he’d treated Summer these past six months, it wasn’t hard to imagine.

And last night, the moment she mentioned suing, he hadn’t just tried to stop her. He’d panicked.

“Don’t think about him,” Jennifer said, pushing the bowl of oatmeal porridge toward her. “Eat something.”

She had seen firsthand how deeply in love they used to be.

But now, even hearing Evan’s name made her chest feel tight.

“You lost a lot of blood last night…” Jennifer’s voice caught halfway through the sentence.

Even as an outsider, it hurt to say.

Yet when Evan had come earlier, he hadn’t looked especially worried. He probably thought Stella just had a bad fever.

So much care for his sister-in-law. So little understanding of his own wife’s condition.

Stella let out a quiet, bitter laugh. “The fact that he could leave before I even woke up says enough.”

“Enough,” Jennifer said firmly. “Don’t talk about Evan anymore. If you want a divorce, I’m on your side.”

So what if the Wright family was the most powerful family in Harbor City?

In the end, it had nothing to do with Stella.

Jennifer added coldly, “Summer tore her stitches open when she fell. Going that far just to keep Evan to herself… she might as well have killed herself.”

Jennifer had seen it all the night before.

Evan had been about to go to Stella after she collapsed—right up until Summer fainted too.

Passing out at the exact same moment?

Jennifer was convinced it was deliberate.

For a man, Summer was willing to gamble with her life.

That kind of obsession was terrifying.

…

Stella had suffered severe blood loss the night before.

The doctor said she needed to stay in the hospital for at least a week.

After helping Stella finish her meal, Jennifer stood up. “I’ll head back and grab you some clothes. Behave yourself, okay?”

“Okay,” Stella said quietly.

She was exhausted.

Losing that much blood had left her light-headed and weak.

As soon as Jennifer left, Stella closed her eyes again. Not long after, the door to the room opened.

Then came the soft whir of wheels.

Stella opened her eyes.

Summer was at the doorway in a wheelchair.

She tilted her head slightly. The person behind her immediately nodded. “Ma'am, I’ll wait outside.”

Summer gave a soft hum.

The attendant wheeled her in, then left, closing the door behind them.

Summer smiled at Stella. “How are you feeling? I just spoke with your attending physician. He said you had severe bleeding last night. You must be very weak right now.”

Her voice was gentle.

But the smug satisfaction beneath it was impossible to miss.

Stella said nothing. She only looked at Summer coldly.

Meeting the dangerous chill in Stella’s eyes, Summer smiled even more brazenly. “So… after all this, do you still want to stay with Evan?”

Stella lifted her gaze slightly. “The shove yesterday. That was deliberate, wasn’t it?”

In that moment, Stella was almost certain.

Two years ago. Yesterday.

Both times had been intentional.

Summer folded her hands together. The smile on her lips faded, but she didn’t answer the question directly.

Her tone turned firm, commanding. “Divorce Evan. Name your terms.”

Stella fell silent.

She looked at Summer’s arrogant face.

This was the woman the Wright family praised as the perfect daughter-in-law. Gentle. Proper. Well-mannered.

What a joke.

Stella let out a soft, mocking laugh. “You’ve been faking depression all this time. Does Evan know how you really feel about him?”

“That’s none of your concern,” Summer replied coolly.

Perhaps because Stella had grown up in an orphanage, Summer didn’t even bother to hide her contempt.

Stella asked quietly, “Yesterday aside… why did you come after me two years ago?”

Back then, Steven was still alive.

Had she already developed those thoughts about Evan?

Summer lowered her gaze slightly. “That’s not something you’re entitled to ask.”

That answer said everything.

Both two years ago and yesterday—Summer had acted on purpose.

Even when Steven was alive, she had already set her sights on Evan.

“You should stop resisting,” Summer said flatly. “Someone with your background never should’ve married into the Wright family in the first place.”

That phrase “someone with your background” was was pure mockery.

To Summer, Stella was nothing more than an ant.

Someone she could crush without consequences.

Facing her arrogance, Stella smiled faintly. “Did Evan tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“That I’ll be taking back the exclusive rights to the Redcrest Valley project.”

At the words Redcrest Valley, Summer’s expression froze.

But only for a moment.

Then she laughed dismissively. “You’ll take it back? How? With your precious legal tools?”

The arrogance was blatant.

Stella looked at her coldly.

“You really think your status gives you leverage?” Summer continued. “If I wanted you dead, it wouldn’t leave a trace.”

“I’d advise you not to stir up trouble. It won’t work on me. All you’ll do is anger me—and that won’t end well for you.”

Her words were a clear, icy threat.

Her gaze turned razor-sharp. “Divorce Evan. Leave Harbor City. And don’t ever come back.”

“This is the only kindness I’ll ever show you.”

With that, Summer turned her wheelchair and headed for the door.

Stella’s lashes flickered. Her voice was calm and cold. “You’re the first side piece I’ve ever seen this shameless.”

Most side pieces hid in the shadows.

Summer had the audacity only someone with a powerful mother behind her could afford.

Summer stopped. She turned back, a bloodthirsty smile curling on her lips.

“What mistress?” she said softly. “In Harbor City, who even knows you exist as Evan Wright’s wife?”

The words cut deep.

And Stella couldn’t deny it.

Just as Summer was about to say more, the attendant outside spoke up. “Ma'am, Mr. Wright has arrived.”

Summer glanced at Stella.

In an instant, her entire expression changed.

She wheeled herself quickly to the bedside and grabbed Stella’s hand.

At the exact moment the door opened, her voice turned tender and concerned.

“Stella, I understand how badly you want a child. But false pregnancies can sometimes create real symptoms.

“If you don’t mind… I can let the babies spend more time with you in the future, okay?”

The woman who had been ruthless moments ago now looked like the perfect, gentle sister-in-law.

Stella narrowed her eyes slightly.

“You want to be a mother that badly?” Summer said softly. “I don’t mind letting the babies call you Mom.”

She wanted Evan for herself.

And now she even wanted her children to call Stella their mother.

Summer really did know exactly how to drive a knife straight into someone’s chest.

Stella didn’t hold back.

She yanked her hand free and swung.

Smack.

A sharp, cracking sound rang through the room, followed immediately by Summer’s scream.

“Aah—!”

At that exact moment, Evan appeared at the doorway.

He walked in just in time to see it.

His face darkened instantly.

Summer hadn’t expected Stella to actually slap her. Anger surged in her chest but the second she saw Evan, she crushed it down hard.

Her voice turned fragile and aggrieved. “Stella, what are you doing? I was just—”

Smack.

Smack.

Before she could finish, Stella delivered two more slaps.

She put everything she had into them.

After three blows, Summer’s head was ringing so badly she could barely stay upright.

Evan’s blood rushed straight to his head. “Stella, what the hell are you doing?”

Summer clutched her face, tears pooling in her eyes as she looked at him. “Evan…”

Evan rushed forward and grabbed Stella’s wrist as she raised her hand again. “Have you lost your mind?”

Stella wrenched her arm free. “Lost my mind? No. I’m just collecting interest early.”

The words had barely left her mouth when her other hand swung.

She slapped Evan across the face.

Then, in the same motion, backhanded Summer again.

The hospital room exploded into raw, uncontrollable fury.